Six school prefabs in Mayo have been rented out for at least 10 years or more, the cost of which runs into thousands, according to information revealed by Fine Gael spokesperson on Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Michael Ring.
Dep Ring received the information after Fine Gael Education spokesman, Brian Hayes TD, tabled several Parliamentary Questions to the Department of Education on the issue.
“The juggernaut of waste from Fianna Fáil and the Department of Education trundles on and it is children, parents and teachers in Mayo that are paying the price,” said Dep Ring.
“Last year, the Fianna Fáil Government admitted that it failed to spend a huge chunk of money set aside for the School Building Programme and, as information Fine Gael has received shows, the Minister continues to squander scarce cash on renting prefabs.
“In virtually all of these cases, the State could have built at least one or two classrooms for the money it spent renting out temporary accommodation over the period. It is a shocking waste of taxpayers’ money and a terrible indictment of how Fianna Fáil treats schools and their building needs,” concluded Dep Ring.
